5.3 Links

An early concept of the NMRS computerisation was to link the NMRS
database to museum databases to provide links between sites and finds.
This has not yet proved possible as the driving forces for museum
databases have not paralleled those for information retrieval in the
NMRs. This is an area of development that would be of considerable
benefit to the archaeological community and will be achieved
eventually. More recently it has been suggested that the work of
specialists should also be retrievable, linked where appropriate to
site-specific information, but also allowing interrogation by theme
and content.

Links with SMRs have been explored on a number of occasions. The
relationship between national and local records is one that is
addressed differently in each country and is not satisfactorily
resolved in Scotland (Baker 1999a and 1999b). There is a continuing debate
concerning the level and detail of information held at local and
national level and how much duplication of effort there is in practice
to update and maintain the databases.

To provide a facility for the integration of data references for
site-specific links and to encompass chronological data, an events
table is being developed for the NMRS. An early version of this was
designed for the original database, but never populated with data.
With the development of events tables in SMRs and in the NMR in
England, the benefits can be clearly demonstrated. Improved access to
data that are currently embedded in text, such as dates of
interventions or active fieldwork can be achieved and the concept can
be extended to include dates of map revision work and links or indexes
to museum finds and specialist databases. It can be used to record
chronological change, e.g. use of buildings such as conversion of a
church to a theatre, and other chronological events, such as change of
names.

Links with other networks must be an urgent development to extend the
range and relevance of the records. Links to tourism, libraries and
schools should be among our targets. These links may not be direct but
could be via a mediated source as is already the case through SCRAN
(schools) and ADS (higher education) or through the networks already
operating in these sectors. A Z39.50 link is in place with ADS and a
pilot project has successfully provided proof of concept.
Site-specific links are also in place with Historic Scotland databases
and prove valuable. Working with these sectors as well as developing
online access to the database has been instrumental in forming a view
for the future.